New York Rangers: Five players Kevin Shattenkirk’s arrival benefits the most

Henrik Lundqvist

After more than a decade of carrying the Rangers with his phenomenal play, Henrik Lundqvist had the worst season of his career in 16-17. The Swedish netminder managed only a .910 save percentage and a 2.74 goals against average, both career lows.

His season hit a nadir on January 17th when he surrendered seven goals to the Dallas Stars. Some fans at MSG even went so far as to jeer Lundqvist, the greatest goaltender in Rangers history.

There’s reason to hope Lundqvist can still elevate his game though. He out-dueled Cary Price in round one of the playoffs while looking like his old self.

Furthermore, the 16-17 Rangers ranked near the bottom of the league defensively. They yielded even strength shot attempts at a higher rate than all but seven other NHL teams. Lundqvist’s lack of trust in his shaky defense added to his struggles.

Both Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith excel at suppressing opposing shot attempts. Full seasons from both of them should dramatically lower the amount and quality of scoring chances Lundqvist faces. Elevating Brady Skjei to the second pairing ahead of Marc Staal should help too.

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At 35, Lundqvist is older than most other NHL goalies. He’s not done yet though. Not if Shattenkirk and the rest of a revamped defense have anything to say about it.